The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-01
A Bloody Section.


Poe family of eight persons in South
eastern Kentucky has directed pub.
lie attention 10 the most laWless Sec
ton of the United States, about
which comparatively little is known.
For half century crime of every
sort has been carried on without the
slightest opposition, and murder is
an everyday occurrence. Harlan,
Knox. Bell, Clay. Whitty, Laurel
and Wayne counties, which border
on the Tennessee aud Virginia lines,
contain more despeIadoes. men and
women, than any part of the United
States. Same Of those counties were
the earliest settled in Kentucky, and
they are rs uncivilized rs they were
fifty years ago. Smut off from all
communications from the rest OF the
world by mountains the semi-bar-
5arous denizens of that locality
marry and inter-marry with each
other.
These counties cover an area of $50
miles in length and Is miles in width.
1t is dangerous for stranger to pen
citrate the valleys and hillside clear
ings. The small settlements are from
25 to 100 miles from any railroad
communications and the miserable
creatures VINO occupy the One-story
log cabins never go more than few
miles from the precincts of their own
homes. The people in that section
of country live like tribes of Indians.
The country is crowded with idiots
produced by the mingling of blood
relations, and il is stated that there
are more iInbeciles in the mountain
counties of Kentucky than all the
rest Of the United States combined.
The writer was sent down to inves.
tigate the Poe tragedy, and while
absent learned facts which are most
surprising and startling. Many of
the counties in that wild section
haven't a school house or church
within their borders. The denizens
have no regard for the ties in family.
and fathers and mothers. husbands
and wives, young girls and boys. all
sleep in one room with the utmost
abandon. The homicIdal tendency
is abnormaIIy developed. The men
are all crack shots, and would just as
soon kill human being as hear
They will not engage in stand-up
fight, but pick off their enemies from
behind a clump of trees.
That section of Kentucky was the
scene cf much bushwhacking during
the war. Both the armies alike fell
before the bullets of the assassins,
who displayed neither courage nor
patriotism. Woodbine, Witty coun-
ty, Was called Jofield during the re-
beIliOn. 1t was the rendezvous OF the
buoh" u" ildChtIS dlu II dpDut NJ iIllIeS
from the historic Cumberland Gap.
The tiers of counties mentioned
afford an impregnable home Tor
mO0nshiners and cOunterfeiters, who
defy the United States Marshals sent
to capture them. The gangs of out
laws in Witty and Clay countit &
have never yet been disturbed. for
all the Government officers who have
the hurdihO0d to attack them are
either killed or driven out of the
county. 1.-THE Free State of Bell, "
as that county is called, averages a
murder day the year round. One
promising outlaw there, who is only
26 years of age. has killed 36 men,
and some of his murders have been
of the most fiendish description.
II is impossible to bring criminals
to justice on account of the family
ties which bind the desperate charac-
ters together. The people are all
related to each other, and the jury is
certain to be composed of the muir
derer'skindred. Law is unknown and
justice is farce. The ignorant. half.
starved, shiftless set are exceedingly
suspicious of a stranger, and unless
he keeps his own counsel he is likely
to drop dead with bullet in his
body. No words can describe the
awful condition of that wild, rugged
country and the picture of misery,
crime, ignorance and depravitv which
exits cannot be Overdrawn. The peo-
pie have no cows, or milk, or butter.
The soil is practically worthless, and
only enough can be raised to keep
the inhabitants from starving.